Turbofan engine and core link therefore
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorBryan William Olver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The turbofan engine can have a core engine, a bypass duct surrounding the core engine, an annular bypass flow path between the bypass duct and the core engine, and a plurality of core links extending across the bypass path and supporting the core engine relative to the bypass duct, and a fluid passage having a heat exchange portion in a given one of the core links, the heat exchange portion being configured for heat exchange with the bypass flow path, an inlet leading into the given core link and to the heat exchange portion, and an outlet extending from the heat exchange portion and out of the given core link.
Claims14
A turbofan engine comprising
- a core engine,
- a bypass duct surrounding the core engine,
- an annular bypass flow path between the bypass duct and the core engine, and
- a plurality of core links extending across the bypass path and structurally supporting at least a. portion of the core engine relative to the bypass duct,
- at least one of the core links having
- at least one structural member connecting two opposite ends of the at least one of the core links having
- a front structural member,
- a conduit located adjacent the at least one structural member,
- the conduit defining a fluid passage in the conduit for heat exchange with air passing through the bypass flow path, the fluid passage communicating with a source of fluid to be cooled, and
- a portion of the conduit exposed to the bypass path,
- an elongated body with
- a length extending between the bypass duct and the core engine,
- a depth extending axially relative to an axis of the bypass flow path, and a thickness normal to the depth and normal to the length, and
- a heat-exchange aperture defined across the thickness and located rearward of the front structural member, wherein the portion of the conduit extends inside the heat exchange aperture.
The turbofan engine of claim I wherein the at least one of the core links has a body made of carbon fiber epoxy.
A core link providing structural support structure within a bypass flow path of a gas turbine, comprising
- a structural body with
- a front structural member,
- a rear structural member
- a length extending between a bypass duct and a core engine of the gas turbine,
- a depth extending axially relative to an axis of the bypass flow path,
- a thickness normal to the depth and normal to the length, and
- a heat-exchange aperture defined across the thickness and located between the front and rear structural members,
- a conduit within the structural body,
- a fluid passage defined by the conduit and having
- a heat exchange portion being configured for heat exchange with the bypass flow path,
- a portion of the conduit exposed to the bypass flow path,
- an inlet leading into the structural body and to the heat exchange portion, and
- an outlet extending from the heat exchange portion and out of the structural body, wherein
- the portion of the conduit extends inside the heat exchange aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.